NORFOLK, Va. –Five Old Dominion University wrestlers have been ranked nationally in the Intermat preseason wrestling poll. Four of the five ODU wrestlers were previous qualifiers in the NCAA Championships.

Intermat Wrestling features five Monarchs ranked in the top-20 in their preseason rankings.

“We are excited to begin competition next month,” said ODU head coach Steve Martin. “The national ranked opponents that we compete against this year will get us ready for the NCAA's in March!”

Jerome Robinson (Toledo, Ohio) comes in at No. 16. The redshirt junior went 17-5 last season at 125 pounds. Robinson went 2-0 in CAA dual action and placed fifth at the Southern Scuffle. Robinson earned an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Championships.

Coming in at No. 12 is Chris Mecate (Highland, Calif.) at 141 pounds. The redshirt sophomore went 37-9 a year ago and went 7-0 in CAA action. He earned a bid to the 2013 NCAA Championships and went furthest of any Old Dominion wrestler in the NCAA Championships last season. Mecate was the #12 seed at the 2013 NCAAs and also placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle.

Ranked No. 16 sophomore Alexander Richardson (Jersey City, N.J.) went 29-15 at 149 pounds last season and recorded three victories over NCAA qualifiers during the season. He was second at the CAA Championships.

At 157 pounds, Tristan Warner (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) comes in at No. 19 by Intermat after he went 27-16 two seasons ago. The redshirt junior did not compete last season due to injury and received a medical hardship. Warner is down a weight (165) from the 2013 season, had six wins over NCAA qualifiers in 2011 and finished second at the CAA Championships.

Kevin Beazley (Howell, Mich.) is ranked No. 18 by Intermat after going 33-13 a season ago while competing unattached at 197 pounds. The redshirt freshman led the Monarchs in falls, racking up 15 throughout the season and was tied for eighth in the nation for most pins. Beazley was on the Junior world team for the United States this summer, placed sixth at the Midlands tournament and upset three nationally ranked wrestlers and placed third at the National Collegiate Open.